Various different proposals have heretofore been made for providing automatic control of water temperature and/or flow rate and the like in plumbing systems, such as, for example, at a bathtub faucet. Some of such prior proposals are described in the following U.S. Letters Patent namely U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,563,780, 2,991,481, 3,74,195, 3,884,258, 4,189,792, 4,429,422.
Many of these earlier proposals are based on the provision of special forms of bathroom faucets and control valves which are intended to replace existing faucets with their manual control valves.
There are, however, some general problems with this approach. In the first place, it involves complex manufacturing operations, as well as precise monitoring and operation of the control valves in use. Furthermore, the systems previously proposed are generally speaking suited for use in only new construction, since otherwise the existing plumbing fixtures must be removed and discarded. Another more fundamental disadvantage is the fact that, once such a new faucet and control have been installed, then the option for simple manual operation of the faucet in the usual way is lost.
The automated bathroom system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,780 is a typical example of the systems heretofore proposed.
In addition, many of the devices previously proposed were of limited application since they were suitable for use only in bathrooms.
In another instance, where, for example, a person wishes to fill a bathtub, it may be desirable or convenient to have the bathtub automatically filled at a predetermined temperature and at a predetermined time.
Another problem encountered with some of the previously proposed systems is that they are dependent on electrical power. Consequently, there is the possibility of a power failure or temporary breakdown in the power supply while a person is using a facility. In this case, most systems will simply shut off immediately, leaving the occupant with the problem of finishing bathing and having to remove soap without any water.
Clearly, it is desirable to have a fluid controller which alleviates these various problems, and in particular which provides a user with the option of using regular existing manual controls, if desired.
It is additionally desirable to provide a system which can be installed at a location more remote from the actual discharge outlet than is possible with the prior art proposals thereby avoiding the need to damage the tiles or other finish surrounding a bathtub.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a fluid controller for automatically controlling water temperature and flow through a water flow discharge outlet or faucet and which can be used, for example, in a bathroom installation with the existing plumbing system without disturbing the existing discharge outlet or faucet.
More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fluid controller for automatically controlling water temperature and flow through a water discharge outlet or faucet and which can also be used in a new construction instead of a conventional and separate manually controllable faucet.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a fluid controller which is capable of storing information concerning water temperature, time on and time off, and even total water flow in some cases and which, in one embodiment, may provide for emergency operation of the system for a predetermined length of time after a power failure.
More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a fluid controller having the foregoing advantages, and which further includes auxiliary power means operable in the event of a failure of the main power supply, to continue operation of the controller for a predetermined period of time.
Yet another object of the invention to provide a fluid controller having the foregoing advantages and including timer means for controlling the switching on and off of said valve means, and further timer means for controlling the duration of operation.
Other objects of the invention and the advantages presented thereby will become apparent as the description herein proceeds.